Movement
by TreacleTart301
Summary: Every night that Remus had been gone, Tonks had lay awake worrying about the future of the child growing inside of her


It was well past midnight and Nymphadora Tonks stood looking out of her bedroom window. Her hands rested on her round belly and the moonlight silhouetted her frame. She watched as the wind rippled through the sea of grass that surrounded her home. With the stars shining up above, everything was peaceful. For just a moment, she could forget that there was a war being waged just on the other side of the fences that surrounded her home.

A few paces away, her husband Remus snored loudly and tossed occasionally in their bed. It was the first night he'd been home for in a little over a month and his presence brought Tonks a great sense of comfort. There was something in the earthy way he smelled that made her feel at home. His return had brought her a great sense of relief as well.

Every night that Remus had been gone, Tonks had lay awake worrying about the future of the child growing inside of her. Visions of battles and war torn cities haunted her dreams. She couldn't imagine bringing a baby into a world like that.

Other thoughts had plagued her mind as well. She wondered if she'd have a son or a daughter and who that child would take after. Would they be calm and serious like Remus or would they have her free spirit? Would their hair color change with their moods or would it always be a mousy brown? And most importantly, would she and Remus be capable of keeping this child happy and healthy?

Just as she was recalling it all, Tonks felt a strange sensation within her. It was like a little kick a bit to the left of her belly button. She pressed down on the spot and felt it again. It took her a moment to realize that the baby was kicking.

Up until that point, the child had remained still, refusing movement of any sort even well past the normal twenty five weeks. In fact, she'd been worried by its stillness, but the healer at her last appointment said everything looked just fine.

Now, however, the child rolled and spun stretching itself in her womb. She could feel its hands and feet bouncing off her internal walls and smiled slightly. Carefully, she sat in the rocking chair beside the window and watched as her stomach twitched with each of the baby's movements. Occasionally, she could even decipher the imprint of a hand or foot under her skin.

"Remus…" she called gently across the room. "Remus, wake up!"

Her husband shot up as if he'd just been called to war. "What is it? Is it time? Do I need to take you to St. Mungos?" he murmured frantically as he attempted to wipe the sleep from his eyes.

"No," she whispered in a soothing voice. "It's just that the baby's moving. I wanted you to feel it"

Rising from the bed, Remus crossed the room in three long strides and was soon by Tonks side.

"Place your hands here," she said pointing to the places where she could feel the most movement. "Just hold still. The baby will start again in just a moment and you'll be able to feel it."

Sure enough, a few moments later, the baby was once again somersaulting and wiggling inside of Tonks. Remus smiled. "That's our child," he said huskily, love evident in his voice. "I can't wait to actually hold him or her."

Tonks returned his smile. "I know. I never could imagine what this would feel like and even now that it's happening, I'm not certain that I have the proper words to describe this experience. How do I explain loving this child more than anything else in the world when I haven't even met him yet?"

"I'm not quite sure either," said Remus. "Now, it's late and you must be tired. Why don't you come back to bed? It's been so long since I've spent the night sleeping next to you. I just want to hold you."

The couple returned to their bed and curled into each other. Remus wrapped his arms around Tonks, resting his hand on her belly. "I'll never let anything happen to you or the baby, you know that right?"

"I do," whispered Tonks and she meant it. Never had she felt safer than in that moment in his arms.

* * *

 _Hi there!_

 _This story was originally written for The Short & Sweet Challenge on HPFF and for my dear friend Rose who was expecting her first child at the time. The object of the challenge was to write happy or fluffy story while staying within 500-2000 words. _

_I would love to hear your thoughts on this, so feel free to make use of the comment box._

 _Thanks for reading!_

 _Kaitlin/TreacleTart_


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